Around The Shop: Sontec MEP-250A Parametric Equalizer

By Eric AllenJanuary 10, 2019

Things have been busy lately in the Vintage King Tech Shop and one of our first projects of 2019 has been this vintage Sontec MEP-250A. Technician Justin Weiss has been giving this beloved stereo 5-band equalizer some much-needed care, both internally and externally.

To call the Sontec MEP-250A a "classic" is an understatement. It's actually a descendant of the first parametric equalizer (ITI ME-230), which was designed by Burgess Macneal and George Massenburg. After ITI went out of business, Burgess Macneal bought the rights to the equalizer and formed a new brand, Sontec.

At Sontec, Macneal would release the MEP-250A, which remains a popular piece of gear in studios around the world, especially mastering suites. This EQ can dial in frequencies with precision, or use a very wide "Q" for smooth transitions. It's very sweet and musical. In the time since the creation of MEP-250A, Sontec has gone onto release more equalizers including the MEP-250C and MEP-250EX.